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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · fall · season · root · firm · bay · wake · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. press — to push
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. firm — decided
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wake — a trail
  9. degree — temperature
  10. season — of the year
  11. fall — to drop
  12. degree — an amount
  13. firm — steady
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. root — the cause
  16. fall — to drop
  17. firm — a company
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. root — of a word
  21. fall — the season
  22. root — of a plant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com